Due largely to a really complex healthcare system, prescription drug affordability is a growing challenge in the United States. Good news! Efforts are happening RIGHT NOW by several government representatives to try and address it. But improvements are moving forward without asking patients what prescriptions THEY can or cannot afford - and they aren’t asking WHY this is.

In this 360it spin-off episode, AiArthritis CEO, Tiffany Westrich-Robertson, and Grassroots Advocacy Manager, Vanessa Lathan, discuss the importance of understanding “the patient why” and how YOU can share your experiences TODAY to help guide the solutions.

Drawing from new data in the Ensuring Access through Collaborative Health (EACH)/Patient Inclusion Council (PIC) Coalition Prescription Drug Affordability & Unaffordability Patient Experience Project, Tiffany and Vanessa explain that the reasons behind affordability vary and all people treated by high retail cost medications should continue to share their why. Then we can collect enough voices, find enough patterns, to guide the government on how to help us. t.

This broadcast highlights why patient voices must guide healthcare reform and how you can - and should - take part in the ongoing Patient Experience survey to ensure solutions reflect real experiences. If you’ve ever skipped or stretched medication, faced unexpected insurance barriers, or worried about paying for prescriptions, this episode highlights why your voice is essential in shaping solutions.

This effort is led by over 80 patient organizations and groups in the USA working together. Any diagnosis, any medication, it’s not autoimmune arthritis or autoinflammatory arthritis disease only.

Episode Highlights:

• Why affordability isn’t just about price, but also insurance design and access.
• What new survey results reveal about skipped doses, Medicare challenges, and reliance on financial assistance.
• Why including diverse patient voices is critical to building real solutions.
• How you can participate in the Patient Experience survey and join ongoing efforts to improve prescription drug affordability.

Participate in Patient Experience Survey here: https://bit.ly/PatientWhy

• Patient Lead Survey Results: https://eachpic.org/each-pic-releases-results-from-patient-led-survey-on-drug-affordability/
• Patient Experience Project and Link to the 10 Minute Survey: https://eachpic.org/patient-experience-project/
• PIC Voices: https://eachpic.org/pic-voices/
• Have questions about this episode or topics you want to hear us bring to the table? Email us at podcast@aiarthritis.org
• Donate to Support the Show: www.aiarthritis.org/donate

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Connect with our Co Hosts:

Tiffany is the CEO at International Foundation for AiArthritis and uses her professional expertise in mind-mapping and problem solving to help others, like her, who live with AiArthritis diseases work in unison to identify and solve unresolved community issues.

Connect with Tiffany:

• Facebook: @tiffanyAiArthritis
• Twitter: @TiffWRobertson
• LinkedIn: @TiffanyWestrichRobertson

Vanessa Lathan is the Grassroots Advocacy Manager at AiArthritis and a consultant with the Patient Inclusion Council, where she leads efforts in diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. Living with Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease, she is passionate about advancing racial health equity and disability rights, with a focus on improving care for Black women with invisible illnesses.